A rapid molecular method for diagnosing epidemic dermatophytosis in a racehorse facility

Abstract

This study demonstrates that the PCR-based molecular diagnostic method is sensitive and specific and offers fast precise diagnosis of dermatophytosis in horses.

Diagnostic performance of molecular and conventional methods for identification of dermatophyte species from clinically infected Arabian horses in Egypt

“…Microsporum equinum , rather than M. canis , may prove to be the second most common factor of equine ringworm in North America. Among racehorse herds from the Korean Racehorse Authority, 38 racehorses were definitively diagnosed with dermatophytosis and T. mentagrophytes was the prevalent infectious agent . A previous study reported that T. verrucosum was the most prevalent dermatophyte in horses in Egypt .…”

“…Dermatophytosis is considered one of the most important fungal skin diseases which infects animals and is transmitted from animal to animal, from animal to human and from human to animals . Dermatophytes are filamentous fungi, which invade keratinized tissues of humans and animals, causing mild to severe, localized and/or diffuse infections .…”

“…Identification of dermatophyte species can play an effective role in the control of disease outbreaks by establishing the source of infection. Traditional approaches to the identification of dermatophytes at the species level are based on culture and microscopic methods, which may require days to weeks for a positive identification . Identification is complicated and laborious due to the morphological similarity, variability and polymorphism shown by dermatophytes .…”

“…Furthermore, this technique gives false‐negative results in up to 15% of cases . Culture and subsequent species identification by microscopic examination of colonies is a slow process, which may take up to 4 weeks …”

Severe dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale in flocks of green iguanas (Iguana iguana)

“…The PCR assay was performed with the DNA Thermo Cycler ( TC‐512 ). Primers used in our study were those reported by Chung and others (2010), CHS1 1S (5′‐ CAT CGA GTA CAT GTG CTC GC) and CHS1 1R (5′‐CTC GAG GTC AAA AGC ACG CC), which amplify a 450‐bp fragment within the CHS1 gene. The reactions were performed in a final volume of 25 μL containing 3 μL of template DNA, 2·5 μL of reaction buffer, 0·4 mM of deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), 1·5 mM of MgCl 2 , 0·3 μL of Taq DNA polymerase and 0·4 mM of each primer.…”